Tim Boetsch has aimed a subtle dig at England's Michael Bisping, hinting the Brit would have run away had the pair's scheduled bout gone ahead.

Boetsch and Bisping were meant to battle at UFC 149 in a middleweight encounter that would have propelled the winner closer to a title shot. Boetsch is coming off a win over Yushin Okami while Bisping started the year by dropping a disputed decision to Chael Sonnen.

The Boetsch v Bisping battle was cancelled when the Brit was forced to withdraw due to a knee problem. He has since had surgery and is on the comeback trail.

As a result, Boetsch is now preparing to welcome Hector Lombard to the UFC. Boasting a 25-fight unbeaten run, Lombard arrives with a lofty reputation based on exceptional power.

When Boetsch was asked how the change of schedule affects his training camp, he could not help taking a dig at Bisping, who had previously labelled him a caveman.

"It certainly changes the dynamic of the fight," Boetsch told Full Contact Fighter. "I won't have to bring my running shoes to catch Hector that's for darn sure. He's going to bring the fight to me. It changes a lot about the fight."

Boetsch v Lombard is set to take place at UFC 149, as the co-main event to Urijah Faber's interim bantamweight title clash with Renan Barao.